Zelensky: Politicians, businessmen steal "two Crimeas" while farmland sale was banned

While the ban on the sale of farmland was in effect in Ukraine for over 20 years, some politicians and businessmen have illegally appropriated state-owned agricultural land that is almost equal to the area of two Crimeas.

Zelensky announced this at the Ukraine 30. Land Forum.

"According to preliminary estimates, during the moratorium, about 5 million hectares of state-owned agricultural land in Ukraine was illegally appropriated, which is almost equal to the area of the two peninsulas of Crimea occupied by Russia," he said.

"Of course, we will do everything to return both. But now it is not about plans for the future, it is about what we have already done. The transparent land market is what we promised the citizens of Ukraine and what we are implementing. We did it for the people, taking into account their warnings and wishes," he said, noting that hundreds of regional land forums, expert discussions, public discussions and approvals of the land market model were held.

Read alsoZelensky enacts law to launch farmland market in Ukraine

Farmland market launch in Ukraine

• On November 14, 2019, a bill on the lease and sale of state-owned and municipal land via e-auctions (No. 2195) passed its first reading in parliament.
• Ukrainian agribusinesses urged lawmakers to back that bill.
• On April 28, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a comprehensive bill on deregulation in the field of land relations.
• Bill No. 2194 provides for the transfer of state-owned land outside villages and towns (except for land that the state needs to perform its functions) into municipal ownership of village and town councils or territorial communities. The latter are also empowered to change the designated purpose of privately owned plots of land.
• In addition, it is proposed that the powers of the State Service for Geodesy, Cartography, and Cadastre were revised.
• On April 28, 2020, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill on amendments into law to launch the farmland market in Ukraine from July 1, 2021.
• The law provides for gradual land reform: from July 1, 2021, citizens of Ukraine will be able to buy farmland plots capped at 100 hectares. At the second stage, i.e. from January 1, 2024, the cap will be raised to 10,000 hectares, while legal entities will also be allowed to acquire land plots.
• On May 13, 2021, it was reported the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on June 3, 2021, would start considering a motion filed by a number of lawmakers challenging the law on farmland turnover.
• On May 18, 2021, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a draft law on the sale of land under new rules.
• On May 19, 2021, lawmakers managed to unblock the signing of the law on deregulation of land relations.